Ocean Song
by Narrative Casuality
Summary: He knows he's dreaming, but he doesn't know how to wake up. And staring out at the sea is a silver-haired stranger that can't hear the water's lullabies. Soriku one shot post COM


Really Random Soriku fic, set when Sora's asleep inside Namine's EGG OF DOOM

I own jackshit, as you can see by the lack of the rabid XXXXXXX rated Soriku sex. so no suing please.

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"The ocean doesn't sing for me anymore." The boy is back again, waiting patiently on the shore for Sora's dreams to bring him back to this island. He's tall and tough and lean, and though Sora knows he knows who this boy is in any other scenario (because always, always he remembers in the back of his mind that he's dreaming and waiting and hopefully one day soon will wake up again and be able to do...something he's no longer sure of) in this scenario, with the moon up above shining bright with the stars and the waves roll up like whispers on the sand, the silver-haired youth is just a haunting stranger with the devil's grin and eyes that look like they'd cry if they could. "It's not angry with me…it just pretends I don't exist."

"That's a shame." Sora walks forward to sit next to him and stare over the horizon. He still doesn't know who the boy is but that doesn't change how the boy feels and he feels comfortable and sad and desperate and safe and all the Keyblade Master wants to do is wrap his arms around this stranger and stay there until the other can relax and cry and maybe (maybe) then he'll get to see his real smile. "It sounds beautiful."

"I know." And the stranger pauses and continues to watch the waves until finally he decides to finish his thought, "It won't let me remember them now, but the songs used to be my lullabies as a kid." Sora stops himself from reminding the boy that he still is a kid, he can't be more than a year or two older than himself after all. "I kind of miss them."

And Sora, unsure of what to say, moves his hand to rest on the stranger's, and begins a sort of determined humming, gentle but wavering, as he closes his eyes and tries to convey the water's lullaby to the other's ears. He's never tried before, he's sure of that, and it's hard to convey the feelings, but he does his best and the other's smile softens and Sora can almost feel him closing his eyes as well. And it's not as good as he wants to do and it's not good enough to remind himself of who this is, but it does something, and that has to be good for now.

"I think it's crying for you." Sora says after a while, when the strain of trying to translate into sound what he feels with his soul becomes too much and sweat is beginning to form on his brow.

"Good to know I'm missed." The boy laughs, but like his smiles there's something lacking or misplaced and instead a sharp quality of sorrow has been substituted in.

"It can't find you." Sora doesn't know why he's continuing to talk, or if his words will make any sense, but there's something inherently missing from the boy next to him altogether that isn't so much terrifying as it is incredibly and incurably lonely. "Without whatever you're missing, it refuses to recognize you."

"I used it to get you." The boy, who's suddenly named Riku, doesn't look over still as his voice steels ever so slightly. It was said in a whisper, and Sora's unsure whether or not he was meant to hear, and before he can ask Riku continues on in his normal tones, "I don't belong in the light anymore, I threw mine away."

And Sora's sure that this is the time to hug the boy and tell him his light will return and maybe one day the ocean will find him again and serenade him with its waves, but instead before he can stop himself he instead asks "Why?"

And instead of answering or withdrawing, Riku instead slips his arm around Sora's shoulders in what is a surprisingly natural and comfortable gesture, "Don't ever change, Sora."

"I'll find your light." Sora promises, unsure of what to say to those words that, like the boy himself, seem oddly familiar but just out of reach.

"It's gone." Riku insists, and the way he says it makes it clear that no amount of arguing can change this belief, so Sora is silent as he continues, "And without it, I'm left here."

"Then have some of mine." Because Sora is determined now, and he's not sure why, but Riku is in pain and Riku is alone and without realizing it until now Sora is certain that he can give Riku enough light to get him through if the two of them just try hard enough. He's standing now, and not sure if he transitioned to his feet from the ground or if standing was something that had happened without the need for a middle man, but he has a goal now and nothing's going to stop him until Riku has enough light to smile for real and cry for real and laugh freely.

"You'd have to wake up first." Riku grins up at him, and though still jaded and slightly wistful it's the most genuine expression Sora's seen on his face in any of these dreams.

"I know." Sora's shoulders sag and he can feel tears begin to form because if he could just wake up he could do so much, but he doesn't know how and so they both seem to be trapped here and it's not right and it's not fair and he can't stand to just feel so damn _useless._

"You will." Riku assures him, standing to his feet and wrapping Sora in his arms, "Don't give up hope, Sora."

And they stand like that for what could be minutes or what could be hours or perhaps even months, and all that matters is Riku is here, even if he is only a dream and the longer they stand there the more sure Sora is that he's almost on the verge of remembering who the silver-haired boy is, but before these memories can actually tip towards him Riku stands back and kisses him on the forehead gingerly, "I'll always protect you."

But before Sora can ask him what he needs protection from, the silver haired boy fades away and all he's left with is the breathing of the ocean tides.


End file.
